A cloud of disappointment continues to hover over a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in more than a decade and appears on course for more of the same results in 2018.

But on Monday afternoon, another piece of the future walked into the Padres’ clubhouse.

There is no guarantee that Eric Lauer will be a successful major league pitcher, but just like Joey Lucchesi before him and all the teenagers behind him, the young left-hander represents hope.

If unable to embody anything else just yet, Lauer‘s arrival here is at least the latest signal that the Padres are set on finding out as soon as they deem prudent whether their highly touted prospects are major league ready.

“If guys check the boxes we’ve put in front of them, then we’ll make a decision,” General Manager A.J. Preller said recently, repeating the organizational philosophy that he has espoused since embarking in earnest on this project of building a foundation with young talent.

Lauer is the second pitcher from the 2016 draft class to make the majors. The first was Lucchesi, who made his debut for the Padres on March 30 and is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA through five starts. (Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays, who debuted in September, is the only position player from that draft to have made the big leagues.)

“I think the direction we’re moving is good,” said Lauer, the 25th pick in 2016. “The Padres are showing they’re willing to bring up the guys they’ve invested in. I think it’s going to snowball. This is just the beginning. I think we’re going to get rolling really well here.”

Lauer and Lucchesi are not considered the highest-ceiling pitching prospects in the Padres’ system — Lucchesi is ranked eighth, Lauer 12th — but they are the most proven. Several of the others are teenagers and are in Single-A or just beginning their time in Double-A. Cal Quantrill, the No. 8 overall pick in ’16, is at Double-A and could make a rapid rise once he masters changing speeds on his fastball and mixing his other pitches.

“These are guys that are going to have every opportunity to be part of our rotation for a long time,” manager Andy Green said of Lauer and Lucchesi. “We look at both of those guys as key parts of what we are trying to do. To add (Lauer) to the mix is exciting. We have names coming after him that might be a little further down on the list. But there are a lot of those guys. This is the first wave of those prospects we’ve been waiting for and looking forward to having.”

For Lauer, there has been plenty of looking forward, even as he clearly focused on the present.

After spending almost all of spring training putting off being called to the manager’s office, the summons he got Friday was one he spent his life working for.

Before his scheduled start for Triple-A El Paso that day, he was called to Chihuahuas manager Rod Barajas’ office. On the speaker of Barajas’ phone was Preller.

Lauer learned that he would be starting for the Padres on Tuesday at Coors Field against the Rockies.

“I just kind of blacked out when he told me,” Lauer said.

That seems in no way an indication Lauer will be overwhelmed by the moment. He allowed three runs and four hits while striking out 10 in 10 2/3 innings during spring training. When the Padres sent him down, they told him to continue working on the location of his deceptive fastball and keep refining his off-speed pitches.

He struck out 19 in 18 innings at Triple-A.

The Padres profess no qualms about the calm and confident 22-year-old making his debut at mile-high Coors Field against one of the league’s most prolific offenses. And neither does Lauer.

“I saw some stuff about people saying it’s not a great place to start your career,” Lauer said. “If I want to stay here, I have to pitch here at some point. It’s nothing new. You’ve still got to pitch your game.”

Lauer’s game involves throwing four pitches to the right spots and a fastball that, with his release point and spin rate, gets on hitters faster than its middling low-90s velocity would suggest.

“I’m just excited to be here and excited to get a chance to show them I belong here and can get hitters out at this level and dominate the game,” Lauer said. “Hopefully, it all comes out the right way tomorrow.”